The first stage of the Superfast Northamptonshire programme to bring high-speed internet to the county has been completed, three months ahead of schedule.
The target was to have 90% of the premises in the county with access to superfast broadband (>24Mbps) and to make sure all premises across the county have access to at least 2Mbps before March 2016.
BT, who are delivering the first two stages of the project, exceeded its contracted 61,000 premises passed figure, and importantly, its 53,400 target for superfast broadband coverage in December 2015.
It is now estimated that around 54,000 additional premises in the county can now access superfast broadband following the completion of stage one.
The early completion of the first stage is good news for many, as stage two is now to begin months before its contracted to. This will enable a further 20,465 premises access to superfast broadband by the end of December 2017.
The Superfast Northamptonshire project is working towards countywide access to high-speed internet, with a target set in place to achieve this by the end of 2017. The project is led by the County Council and is part of the Government’s Superfast Britain programme.
High-speed internet access is becoming essential in how we live, making basic day to day activities of modern life easier and quicker for all ages. It is also important for businesses in their growth and innovation.
For more information on the rollout of superfast broadband across Northamptonshire, please download the latest newsletter from the Superfast Broadband team.